Courtesy of Judith Gregg Librarian Catherine Arbogast heads out with a personalized book delivery from the Los Altos main library.

Love of learning and curiosity about the world sometimes grow only more urgent as a person spends more and more time at home, limited by age, health condition, or both. Librarians head out from the Los Altos main l...

Already known as an innovator in the tech field, Google Inc. is now moving in on the art world.

The Mountain View-based company July 11 launched the “Paint the Town” contest, a “moving art experiment” that invites California residents over the age of 13 to submit physical or digital artwork that would decorate the door...

Traci Newell/Town Crier The six-week, tuition-free Stretch to Kindergarten program, hosted at Bullis Charter School, serves children who have not attended preschool. A teacher leads children in singing about the parts of a butterfly, above.

courtesy of Rishi Bommannan Rishi Bommannan cycled from Bates College in Maine to his home in Los Altos Hills, taking several selfies along the way. He also raised nearly $13,000 for the Livestrong Foundation, which supports cancer patients.

The Town Crier’s recent article on coyotes venturing down from the foothills in search of sustenance referenced the organization Project Coyote (“Recent coyote attacks keep residents on edge,” July 1). Do not waste your time contac...

Photos by Alicia Castro/Town Crier Local residents participate in an exercise class at the Grant Park Senior Center, above. Betsy Reeves, below left with Gail Enenstein, lobbied for senior programming in south Los Altos.

Grace Wilson Franks, our beloved mother and grandmother, left us peacefully on July 16, 2015 just a few weeks short of her 92nd birthday. She was born to Ross and Florence (Cruzan) Wilson in rural Tulare, California on Septem...

Most of us have a place inside our hearts and minds that occasionally causes us trouble. For some, it is sadness, depression or despair. For others, it may be fear, anger, resentment or myriad other emotional “dark places” that at times seem to hij...

Photo Blanche Shaheen/Special To The Town Crier Baklava nuts, spices and sweets bring dessert flavor to a wholesome breakfast staple.

I make no secret of my sweet tooth. When my mother would make baklava, a popular dessert in Middle Eastern households, she knew I could scarf down a couple of pieces with coffee for breakfast during high school.

My metabolism has slowed over the years, however, and I just can’t get away with that anymore. I have been on a mission to transform some of my favorite desserts like baklava into healthful breakfast foods. I figure that if I eat my treat at breakfast, I can burn it off the rest of the day. Hence the birth of my recipe for Baklava Granola.

Granola often gets a bad rap – many store-bought varieties contain too much saturated fat, sugar and/or high-fructose corn syrup. Instead of saturated fat from butter or hydrogenated oils, my Baklava Granola features a nutritious dose of good fats from nuts and coconut oil. Coconut oil contains approximately 50 percent lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that boasts antiviral and antimicrobial properties, not to mention a fragrant smell and tropical flavor. Substitute any kind of nut or seed butter for the almond butter, which creates a rich binding agent for the oats.

My baklava is not as sweet as the store-bought options. Instead of adding a cup of sugar like many traditional recipes, I use a smaller amount of antioxidant-rich honey or maple syrup. Baklava is traditionally sweetened with honey, but substitute part or all of it with maple syrup if you prefer.

Pistachios, cinnamon and cloves round out the baklava flavor. I usually sprinkle Baklava Granola over a mixture of Greek yogurt and berries. My children prefer it as a more traditional breakfast cereal with milk.

I find that this recipe gives me much more sustained energy for my morning runs without the sugar rush of traditional baklava.

For a video tutorial on making Baklava Granola, visit this article online at losaltosonline.com.

Blanche Shaheen is a food blogger and journalist who lives in Los Altos. She is writing a Middle Eastern cookbook that shares heirloom recipes, cooking tips and family stories. For more recipes, visit feastinthemiddleeast.com.

Baklava Granola

• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

• 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

• 1/2 cup pecans

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

• 1/4 cup almond butter

• 1/3 cup maple syrup or raw honey

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Preheat oven to 250 F. In large mixing bowl, stir together first six ingredients and set aside. In small saucepan, stir together almond butter, maple syrup or honey and coconut oil over low heat. Once mixture is smooth, pour over dry ingredients in mixing bowl and stir until well incorporated.

Spoon granola mixture evenly on large cookie sheet and bake 45 minutes. Remove granola from oven and stir carefully to ensure even browning. Return to oven for another 45 minutes.

Cool before serving. Store granola in a container for up to two weeks.

Submit a Letter to the Editor

The Town Crier welcomes letters to the editor on current events pertinent to Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View. Write to us at 138 Main St., Los Altos 94022, Attn: Editor, or email editor Bruce Barton at bruceb@latc.com. Because editorial space is limited, please confine letters to no more than 200 words. Include a phone number for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

You can also have your say right here at losaltosonline.com – scroll to the bottom of any story to add a comment.